For me, since there’s no travel more rewarding, relaxing, or stimulating (the last two are not mutually exclusive) as road trips, the following travel tips are worthy of this abbreviated list, as hackneyed as they may be.

And really, I hold little close to the vest, so don’t read these and think “these aren’t secrets, she’s told us all this before.” Well obviously you can think it, just don’t say it aloud. Unless you want to leave a comment, and then of course you can say just about anything you want because comments make bloggers giddy.

SRT travel not-so-secret secret #1: Spend the money for a GPS or any device that will allow you to leave a breadcrumb trail (so you can confidently return to where you began). For one day of your trip, take your wallet/purse, the GPS and a camera, leave your maps and guidebooks in the hotel room, and hit the streets. For an even more intense rush, leave your camera behind as well. Leaving the camera behind takes the most guts. No guts, no travel glories.

SRT travel not-so-secret secret #2: Speaking of guts, exit the Interstate if you’re interested in seeing anything other than the sterile, stamped out cities they connect.

SRT travel not-so-secret secret #3: Take a weekend road trip and stay within your county of residence.